Folding coop



(No Model.)

T. A. ALLEN. FOLDING GOO P, &c.

Patented Jan & m

F ATTORNEYS.

m NORRIS PKTERS e0, mow-1.1mm, WASHINGTON u. c.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries. A

THOMAS A. ALLEN, OF ASTOR, VEST VIRGINIA.

FOLDiNG C OOP, C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters iiatent No. 532,303, dated January 8, 1895. Application filed June 27,1894. .Serial No. 515,343. tliiomodel.)

To all whom it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. ALLEN, of

Astor, in the county of Taylor and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Coops, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in coops or'crates forshipping live fowl and animals such as chickens, turkeys, geese, calves, pigs, rabbits, 850., and has for an object a simple construction of crate which can be easily and quickly opened or unfolded for use or can be compactly folded for storage or transporta-r tion empty, and the invention consists in the novel constructions, combinations and ar-. rangements of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side view. Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal and cross-sectional views of the coop folded. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the coop open ready for use. Fig. 5 is a side view of the coop with the top partly raised, and Fig. 6 is a detail View.

The coop is composed of the top A,bottom or floor B, ends 0 O and sides D D. At its ends the bottom B has upon its upper side cross cleats 12 forming a part of such bottom and serving to elevate the hinge connection of the ends C so they may fold down upon the sides D. The ends and sides are hinged to the bottom by means of metal plates F secured to the said ends and sides and looping around rods G secured at intervals to the bottom and extended along the sides and ends of same .near its edges. By this hinge connection the sides and ends may fold inward to closed position or outward to open position. In the latter position of the sides and ends they stand at right angles to the floor and rest at their lower edges squarely upon the same. The ends are connected with the top by the links E pivoted at one end to the ends 0 midway between the upper and lower edges of said ends and preferably slightly slotted at such pivot, and at their other ends to the top A near the ends thereof, and it is preferred to form the said top with corner pieces H of metal fixed to the corners of the said tops and to which the links are pivoted. These links E are made to extend at e inwardly past the inner edges of the end pieces so they will serve as stops for the sides when the latter are adj usted to position for use as most clearly shown in Fig. 4

By the described construction it will be seen that as the top is lifted it by means of the links E lifts the ends 0. The sides maynowbe drawn out by hand being secured when so adjusted by suitable latches. I The latch is preferably a button I pivoted to the side and arranged to pass through a staple J fixed to the top and be turned down to secure the side in upright position, and where desired these latches may be arranged near both ends as well as at the middle of the sides.

The cross cleats b have their inner edges notched or mortised out at b and the top and bottom slats of the side D are extended at d and fit in said notches b when the sides are folded down against the bottom or floor.

' The top, sides, ends and bottom may be of any suitable material desired. Ordinarily I find it convenient to make them of frames of slats covered with wire netting, or of inner and outer frames with the netting secured between them.

For the floor I prefer to secure over the wire netting a covering of burlap or similar cheap cloth which may be replaced when necessary.

Manifestly the coops or crates may be made in such sizes as to suit the fowls or animals to be carried.

In practice the frames may be jointed by mortise and tenon or by any suitable form of corner piece and where great strength is desired the sides, ends and top may be made alike the bottom with outer hard wood slats 1 and inner soft wood 2 between them the soft wood facilitating the clinching of the nails without cracking the wood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

comprising the bottom, theends jointed thereto at one edge and folding inward at the free edge, the top, links jointed at one end to the ends of the coop'or crate, and at their other ends to the top thereof and the sides, substantially as set forth.

2. A coop or crate substantially as described comprising the bottom the sides and ends jointed thereto the sides being arranged 1. A coop or crate substantiallyas described 1 Ward movement of the sides substantially as 7 set forth.

3. A coop comprising the bottom the sides and ends jointed thereto, the .top, the links connecting the ends and top the staples secured to the top and the buttons pivoted to the sides and arranged to be passed through the staples and turned to secure the sides to the top substantially as set forth. 1

4. In a coop or crate substantially as described the combination of the bottom having the end cleats notched or mortised in their inner edges, the sides hinged to said bottom and having their ends formed to fit the notches or THOMAS A. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. RECTOR, J. M. ALLEN, L. M. LA FOLLETTE. 

